2006-12-26

It appears the Bush administration has a real problem on its hands – the war effort is not going well at all and the military is on the verge of "breaking." I do believe I have a plan, which if implemented right away could provide the needed relief Bush is desperately searching for. Desperate times call for desperate measures. If this country is indeed in danger of having to fight the enemy on our soil, it is time to pull out all stops. If the Bush administration is serious about "protecting our freedom" and this is not a war started on lies to increase the bottom line of companies from the Military Industrial Complex, it is time to deploy the Warmonger’s Brigade.

First battalion would consist of all male and female members of the immediate families of everyone in the Bush administration. Of course W’s daughters would be the first to be placed in this battalion, followed closely by Dick "water boarding" Cheney’s daughter, Mary. I am aware that she is pregnant at this time but within a reasonable time after giving birth, she could rejoin her battalion in preparation for deployment to the Iraq Theater of Operations. After all, her significant other is also female so the infant will not lack for maternal care. This administration has found no problem with sometimes deploying both parents to Iraq, so Mary Cheney being deployed would be business as usual.

Included in this battalion would be the children of all cabinet members, led of course by any eligible children of Alberto "torture is ok" Gonzales. I’m sure Karl (the leak) Rove has some children, nieces or nephews that would make good cannon fodder. Included in this battalion would be all eligible employees and family members (18 to 38 years of age) of CIA, NSA, DIA, and BATFE. Since these agencies have declared war on American civil liberties, extending the declaration to include real enemies should present no problems.

So he would not feel left out, all of Donald Rumsfeld’s eligible kin would be immediately drafted for service, even though he is no longer with this administration. They of course would be required to ride in unarmored Humvees while wearing Vietnam Era flak jackets.

Second battalion would consist of all family members of those in Congress who have supported the war in Iraq. Chelsea Clinton could vie for command of this battalion with eligible members of the McCain family. Charles "slavery is okay if you're serving the state" Rangel could insure that all members of the Black Caucus have their relatives fitted for new uniforms, trained, and ready for deployment.

Third battalion would consist of all male and female members of those at FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, and the Weekly Standard. Of course all relatives of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, and William Kristol, followed closely by relatives of those at the New York Times and the Washington Post would receive orders for immediate deployment. All other media outlets in this country that have supported this war would also see their children deployed for immediate service in the "global war on terror."

Fourth battalion would consist of members from all the church leaders in this country who have blindly supported the illegal invasion of a country that posed no threat to us. Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, James Dobson and others would of course dutifully escort their family members to the induction centers and then volunteer for support duties themselves. No deferments for Conscientious Objector status would be allowed.

Recon battalion would consist of family members of all executives of companies in the Military Industrial Complex who has realized such huge profits from this war. No exemptions would be allowed. If a company is in business to profit from the blood of others, it should also be willing to provide the material (their children) to the effort that produces those profits.

Special Operations elements of the Warmonger’s Brigade would consist of all members of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR and all other professional and amateur sports teams. If service to this country when we are so at risk is really necessary, as this administration claims, we need combat troops more than we need to be entertained. With their wonderful conditioning and the fact many athletes would rather fight than play the game they are paid to play, combat would be an excellent alternative. Naturally, all members of professional wrestling and boxing would be given command positions in this unit.

Staffing the Psychological Operations unit should be Max Boot, Cal Thomas, Ann Coulter, James Meigs, Andrew Sullivan, George Will and Charles Krauthammer. No one else could match this group when it comes to turning outrageous lies into palatable truth for the masses. Their lust for war is so strong they should be required to feel the sting of battle firsthand.

Anyone displaying "support the troops" ribbons would be eligible for immediate induction into the combat support battalion. Their children and grandchildren would be dispersed within the other combat battalions. If our country is in real trouble, supporting the troops should include providing the troops, and who better to do that than those who blindly support war.

If steps to establish the Warmonger’s Brigade as outlined above are not immediately enacted by those in the White House, Congress and the Pentagon, they are either the biggest hypocrites on the planet or this war is a hoax. Then again, it could be both.

December 22, 2006

Michael Gaddy [send him mail], an Army veteran of Vietnam, Grenada, and Beirut, lives in the Four Corners area of the American Southwest. Posted 12/22/2006 08:12:48 am EST by continental op

This piece was created by cobbling together several speeches made by Howard Beale in the 1976 movie "Network". Network is famous for establishing the phrase "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." It seems to me that Beale's weak-up appeal to the American public is just as applicable today as it was 30 years ago. Though the Internet does today provide an unparalleled alternate source of information that was not available 30 years ago, sadly it is still shockingly underused. Official black & white explanations for events such as 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing are glibly accepted and seldom subjected to any type of reality check. Pieces such as "Loose Change" are valiant wake-up calls - no doubt - but the enchantment is deep and the subjects difficult to reach. Howard puts his finger on the crux of the matter almost better than almost anyone else.

2006-12-21

This was Then, That is Now

This is going to be a long and difficult contest, and then much is yet to be done, and much is yet to be required. We are winning in Afghanistan. But we are winning only in the first theater in a long contest, that will take a long time and a lot of treasure and a lot of challange for this country.

We have an obligation to ensure our military is capable of sustaining this war over the long haul, and in performing the many tasks that we ask of them.

...

I'm not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq, except that it's going to require difficult choices and additional sacrifices, because the enemy is merciless and violent. I'm going to make you this promise: My administration will work with Republicans and Democrats to fashion a new way forward that can succeed in Iraq.

...

And the reason why I'm inclined to believe this is a good idea is because I understand that we're going to be in a long struggle against radicals and extremists, and we must make sure that our military has the capability to stay in the fight for a long period of time. I'm not predicting any particular theater, but I am predicting that it's going to take a while for the ideology of liberty to finally triumph over the ideology of hate.

2006-12-10

Reader Comments (96)High Tom I was just wondering what you thought of certain a Congressman who tried to get a bill passed claiming the war is "unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States"December 10, 2006 doctorsmith

Such unmitigated gall. Your 3 First Principles "Order, Justice, and Freedom" obviously don't include Honesty, Integrity, or Ethics. I particularly like the way the House Ethics Committee chairman, Joel Hefley, was removed after rebuking you 3 times. Yes, he was replaced by Delay groupie Doc Hastings, with a couple other groupies connected with your PAC. Sorta make sure no more untoward rebukes occur. It's good that you're no longer a Representative; the stench of the 109th Congress will take a long time to fix.December 10, 2006 Wilbur

YOUR ARE A FUCKING DISGRACE TO THE IDEAS OF GOLDWATER. CRAWL BACK INTO A HOLE YOU TURD!December 10, 2006 Clayton Hutchinson

Zalmay Khalilzad is now resigning as ambassador to Iraq. In my opinion, a staunch supporter of the war such as yourself should volunteer to fill this important post. It would do you some good to get first hand knowledge regarding Iraq, a country in which the situation is said to be "grave" and "deteriorating."December 10, 2006 Larry Talbot

What a magnificently, terrifically boring and irrelevant blog. Honestly, who on earth cares what you have to say?December 10, 2006 Miles Coverdale

You left Congress disgracefully and you want people to take you seriously? You should be in prison you assclown, piss off Tom.December 10, 2006 Tom you suck

Didn't we already stick a fork in your ass and decide you're done? To paraphrase you: You WERE the Federal Government...now you're a nothing. The fact that you are trying to keep your name alive by starting a stupid blog is actually kind of pathetic and sad. Please just go away.December 10, 2006 Meadows

You wouldn't know "honesty" if came up and BIT YOU IN THE ASS.December 10, 2006 Bill Davis

How pathetic you are, Mr. Delay. You are a criminal, and you should beserving time in jail along with your buddies Abramhoff and Cunningham.The damage you have done to this country is reprehensible.Do us all a favor and just disappear, you sorry excuse for a person.December 10, 2006 cosmo

Aesthetically speaking, this is the most visually bland yet offensive piece of crap to ever find it's way onto a server.December 10, 2006 dfd

Tom, you corrupted the conservative cause and brought disgrace to our party. We can never forgive you for that. Please crawl back into your hole.December 10, 2006 American Patriot

OK, fuck all you critics, I was the best leader the House of Representatives has ever had. Don't try to smear me, I am the definition of honesty and integrity, so fuck all you liberal commies.December 10, 2006 Tom Delay

Forget the blog, Tom. Just hook up with OJ and write a book.December 10, 2006 Me Too

Is this blog serious? And if so, then did you mean it when you said that "unfortunately, many D.C. insiders are simply incapable of looking outside the capital beltway for fresh opinions and new approaches that might otherwise help our nation?"WTF were you doing during those years of gerrymandering and hammering away votes for Bush's rubberstamp 109th Congress? Were you looking outside the beltway for fresh opinions and new approaches then?No wonder your miserable party lost last month. And the longer you act detached from reality, the longer you and your party will suffer a horrible isolation by the American people. And besides, you're a potential criminal.I suggest you focus on that rather than this stupid blog.December 10, 2006 Dookiestix

When I go to prison I will have the best bitch in the cellblock so eat your hearts out. His name is Jack Abramhoff and he gives good head.December 10, 2006 Tom Delay

WoW! America's poster-child for white entitlement, greed, authoritarianism and the exploitation religion for corporate interests finally has a blog! The intertubz are finally complete... Go back to your hole Tom. Your "conservative revolution" is dead. No one cares what a ignorant exterminator has to say anymore, now that we are all pretty sure you're a criminal. Though in all honesty, keep posting. This should be entertaining... in a "rubbernecking a car accident" sort of way.December 10, 2006 raoul duke

I am crook and a liar. I only care about my own enrichment.December 10, 2006 Tom Delay

Oh, fuck all you critics. I was the best Republican leader of the House Majority ever! Now if you'll excuse me, I have appointment to get reamed up the butt by Rev. Ted Haggard, another good conservative Christian. Hey, I gotta practice for when I finally end up in the big house. Toodles!December 10, 2006 Tom DeLay

Tom,Amazon has a new book you should bone up on (forgive the pun)"How to have great sex in the American prison system"I mean while you're there, try to make good memories.December 10, 2006 Jim Montague

Although I am against Tom having any free and legitimate contact with the "normal" folk of the great United States, the responses to this blog just made my Sunday. Hee hee. Thanks Tom!! But seriously, someone should do us a favor and escort Tom to Iraq, outside of the green zone so he can practice order, justice and freedom...for uh let's say 90 seconds.December 10, 2006 SAK

Oh, by the way I mostly put the blame on your corrupted, twisted, criminal, psychotic, evil existence on your PARENTS who bought your no-good ass into this world.December 10, 2006 Bill Davis

Go drink some ddt you assholes, i am going to church so I can get a blow job from some alter boys.December 10, 2006 Tom Delay

Just thought I'd mention you are a fucking moronDecember 10, 2006 john w

You corrupt hypocrite, crawl back to the hole you came out of.December 10, 2006 An American

I think I said this but just in case - you are a fucking moronDecember 10, 2006 john w

I can see you have an adoring public.Don't lose your body guards.December 10, 2006 xoites

Take this from a soldier and a veteran: Where is your integrity. You were getting paid while we're dying in Iraq.December 10, 2006 GI Joe

Mr DeLay,I'm quite distressed that you are using the f-word in response to these people saying such terrible things about you. Please clean up your language! I'll pray for you, sir.December 10, 2006 Suzie Sue

may your days in prison be filled with water-boarding, anal sodomy, and eye-liner... to be duke cuuningham's bitch is too good for you, you wretched little man...December 10, 2006 e coli

Nobody wants to hear from you, Tom Delay. Disappear. Suck on some dog eggs while you wait to go to prison. Maybe your pretty little bride will find someone with a little integrity while you're away, but I doubt it. You don't screw America and then expect us to take you seriously.December 10, 2006 Terry Olson

I like to smother myself in tapioca pudding and play the bongos in front of the fireplace. Looking for S/W/M who shares same interests.December 10, 2006 Tom Delay

Oh my, Mr. Delay, I make a killer tapioca, and my brother left his bongoslast time he was here. Would you be interested....? I love your hair.December 10, 2006 Suzie Sue

Oh Tom, just shut this blog down, it is hurting our regressive reputation. If you could've just shown a little more integrity and fucked a couple of page boys you wouldn't be in any trouble but you had to take some money from Jack. I will miss you Tom, we need more crooks like you in Congress, those librul Dems are just gonna get in the way of fucking this country in the ass.December 10, 2006 George W. Bush

Thanks, Tom. You had the opportunity to be a good public servant, and you used it to gerrymander and slander and line your own pockets. Great example for the kids. What a prick.December 10, 2006 Barney

My "friends" in the pen called me Sally the Stank.December 10, 2006 Bubba

Goodness, Bubba, that's my actual name given to me by my daddy. I'm his special girl!December 10, 2006 Suzie Sue

When you sign on to start helping Americans and Iraqis outside that green zone, maybe I'll start taking you seriously. Until then you're just another power hungry politico-criminal who has taken my belief system and values and exploited them to achieve your ends. You're about as Christian as a horse's ass, with scarcely a trace of integrity.December 10, 2006 Puh-leez

Building Seven of the WTC fell 47 stories in 6.5 seconds.It was NOT hit by any airplane.It fell at the speed of a billiard ball.EVERY SINGLE SUPPORT COLUMN FAILED AT EXACTLY THE SAME INSTANT!December 10, 2006 Atheist

911 was used as an excuse to kill a half million Iraqis.Have you noticed?We killed a half a million people based on a lie.December 10, 2006 Atheist

Go back to killing bugs, Tom. You did everything you could while in the House to steal money from the American people and channel it to your friends. You deserve jail time, not public discourse.December 10, 2006 Person of Integrity

hi, tom!!!!so glad you joined the blogosphere! now you can link to my articles and to michelle's too :)speaking of michelle, she just received a new batch of iraqi baby blood from general pace...if you would like to come up to nyc, drop in and you can suck on some of it too! and, to you liberals on here....HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY HOW MUCH I HATE YOU!!!!December 10, 2006 ann coulter

If your vision was complete the world had been turned into a pile cockroach infested cinders. Remember how much a part you could have played in destroying the world and the American democratic experiment. Thankfully though, you and your Maoist republican friends have been driven back to the Texan prostitutes den...spread your virus amongst yourselves.December 10, 2006 Sasquatch

President Bush! I am shocked! Surely you and Mr. DeLay support one another! Please reconsider your language. I'll pray for you, too!You are a fine gentleman, and I have encouraged all six of my sons to be just like you. And I have forced all four of my daughters to be just like Jenna and Barbara. Their daddy loves them so...December 10, 2006 Suzie Sue

My hairpiece was carefully hand crafted by slave labor using only the best of Ted Haggard's pubic hair.December 10, 2006 Tom Delay

The USA killed 3000 of its own citizens as an excuse to kill a half a million Iraqis.911 was a lie.Dov Zakheim and Dick Cheney are responsible for all these murders.December 10, 2006 Atheist

I hope this works!Wanted: Former disgraced yet handsome minister into male backrubs and meth use. Me: A stylish 6'4" male ex-con with several large appendages and a hairy back yet a smooth head looking for a friendship first then LTR. Let's Get It On!December 10, 2006 Bubba

I am glad to see the Hammer has found some work. Tom, you best make some good money from your effort blogging as you will soon have to spend some time with your new cell mate. You are a worthless piece of shit that has been puffed up with lobbyist meals and taxpayer funds. It is because of you that your republican buddies are all leaving DC. Thanks for your help on that you ethically challenged pile of shit. Better yet, FUCK YOU, you nazis bastard. Maybe the buddies you made in the Marianas Islands can help you out You have no business criticizing Jimmy Carter you whacked out nut.December 10, 2006 Chris in NM

ummm....have you decided on who is gonna be your pimp in jail?..now there is something you can blog about.December 10, 2006 fuckyoutom

WOW! The only thing better than all of these posts, is imagining that fucktard sitting and reading these tonight and then trying to "filter" us all out. What a sad sad man. HE HE! :)December 10, 2006 TiMM4HH!

Fuck this, i am the best Congress have ever seen. Soon I will be the best excogressman to take it in the ass, I will be the best bitch, promise, don't you believe me, I would never lie.December 10, 2006 Tom Delay

hi, tom!!!mmmmmm, i have the biggest, blackest, leather strap-on just for you, you bad bad boy...i am going to ream you out until you squeal like a little ann coulter-pig...-this will get you ready for rufus in the big house-December 10, 2006 michelle malkin

Haha this comments section is the funniest thing I have seen all day. Looks like things have started off with a bang, Tom!December 10, 2006 Commie Liberal

911 was a bald faced lie used to justify the MURDER of 500,000 people AND COUNTING.www.whatreallyhappened.comDecember 10, 2006 Atheist

I can't help but think of DeLay standing over this web server screaming, "How do you turn this fucking thing off!"Let's hear it for the First Amendment, eh Tommy-boy?December 10, 2006 devilbush

Great blog Tom, you really have some big fans and I hope to start a blog and get the same praise as you are receiving today. Gotta go shoot a pal in the face so have a great day Tom, great blog.December 10, 2006 Dick Cheney

How many times did you put your daughter Danielle in a hot tub and feed her to the lobbyists? Is that why they paid her the 500K?December 10, 2006 Mike

Here's an idea.Go away! You are a divisive, elitist lack of a human being who cares nothing for the little guy.You claim to be a Christian? Why are you against the poor and publicly funded education, among so many other subjects?Tom, you need to truly find God instead of molding him to your privileged, white upbring.I pray for your soul because I don't think you have one. I have never believed I am righteous in my life.December 10, 2006 Paul

"There is nothing more important than cutting taxes in a time of war."Or so says the EXTERMINATOR / HAMMERWell, how's this for a corollary:"There is nothing more important than treating your hemorrhoids in a time of JAIL."December 10, 2006 Atheist

Remember this Tom?As the war progressed, DeLay condemned "(President Clinton's) war," and grumbled in April, 1999, that, "There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our overextended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today."December 10, 2006 Joe Wilson

GOD, I HATE YOU PEOPLE!!!mr delay wants a place for all those who love him and miss him to come and visit and leave notes of adoration, and, you, you LIBERAL SWINE, have ruined his opening...if i ever see any of you, i will BITE YOU IN THE NECK and poison you with my saliva...love and kisses,ann coulterDecember 10, 2006 ann coulter

Haven't you gone back to killing roaches yet, Tom? I know your brain's most likely scrambled due to the use of toxic chemicals (after all, how else could you justify your politics?) but now that you're out of office, what else are you going to do? Oh, right. You're going to become the next Jack Abramoff. Silly me.December 10, 2006 P.

God I am glad Tom is still around so we can continue making fun of just how wrong he is. We owe him a debt of gratitude for helping destroy conservative philosophy and the GOP (Gang of Pedophiles). Keep going you moron, we need more of your help. Maybe you can share a cell with Mark Foley or Jack Abramoff; you could all be butthole buddies. Have FunDecember 10, 2006 Honest

Would you expect anything different Tom. It will be good to see you in prison garb. Make sure you say Hi to Bubba down there in Texas prison and make sure to drop the soap once in a while, you deserve some bum pumping for what you have done. Sincerely though, you are a piece of shit and no friend of America.December 10, 2006 howie

http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/Hey Tom:Save these for your jail sentence, even if you don't have time to read them now.911 was a lie perpetrated by Republicans FOR Republicans.Delay was at the very least Part of the Cover-Up.December 10, 2006 Atheist

Hey Tom,,Just reminding you about the old Klan-bible reading party tonight at Rusty's. Don't forget to bring your hood.See you thereDecember 10, 2006 Jack Ruby

Hi Tom cool blog. I hope you can cum join me in prison soon, my rectum just gets moist every time I think about you Tom. Just plead guilty because you know you are. Don't bring that soap on a rope, you wont need it, Hugs and kisses ,Jack.December 10, 2006 Jack Abramhoff

tomdon't worry about unsustainable deficits, just keep redistributing the wealth to all the patriots and pioneersdon't worry about the bill of rights, the 10 commandments will do just fine, we can sin under either one, you've proved to be able to shit on most of both anywaydon't worry about the person, the corporation is much more importantdon't worry about your crimes, they just have a max sentence of life in prison, someone thought that suborning the vote in a democracy was a big thing, go figureby the way, fuck you and the horse you came with last nightDecember 10, 2006 tofubo

2006-11-28

civil war

Vinny: What about these words I said? You think they're okay?

Mona Lisa: Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water - BAM. A fuckin' bullet rips off part of your head. Your brains are lying on the ground in little bloody pieces. Now I ask ya, would you give a fuck what kind of words the son-of-a-bitch who shot you was saying?

2006-11-11

2006-11-08

congratulations to ms bean on your reelection, now that you are in the majority party, i only hope for you the best in getting your ideas for the district and this country enacted

to mr mcsweeney, i have no avarice to republicans or conservatives, their ideas and convictions are needed and are important, i just can not stand anyone giving any quarter to this present administration, both in the white house and the leadership in congress, i believe they are the most corrupt, freedom-hating group of people that i have seen in my life, and you did not do anything to repudiate them, for that, i could not support you

to mr scheurer, i've tried to find the correct totals of this race, i hope that the final numbers do stay above the 5% to get another party on the ballot for the next election, i was with you on 98% of your issues, and would have supported you in a heartbeat, but your view on choice is an issue, we as a society do not force a woman to have an abortion, but we should never force a women to stay pregnant, for that, i could not support you

well, i got .02% .003% of the vote, thanks to all that understood where i was coming from, i had no expectations of winning, but i had every expectation of trying to educate voters of issues that need to be addressed

i leave you all with this little ditty:

help stop this country from becoming a fundamentalist theocracy aiding and abetting a kleptocratic war profiteering police state that continues to remove civil liberties from americans on the premise of fighting a never ending war on a transitive adverb

The danger to political dissent is acute where the Government attempts to act under so vague a concept as the power to protect 'domestic security.' Given the difficulty of defining the domestic security interest, the danger of abuse in acting to protect that interest becomes apparent.
- U.S. Supreme Court, [redacted]http://www.thememoryhole.org/nonwp/feds/justice_redaction.htm

Thank you for giving me a moment of your time. My name is Jonathan Farnick, a local area computer consultant, husband to an intelligent and beautiful wife, Melissa, father to a wonderful son, Dylan, and now, an Independent Write-In Candidate for Congress in the already crowded Illinois 8th Congressional District for the upcoming election, this November 7th, 2006.

I’m thirty-eight years old, was born in upstate New York, lived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, and moved to Illinois in 1991. My wife and I became first-time homeowners in 2002 when we purchased our home in Woodstock, Illinois. I’ve been previously employed in the service and transportation industries and since 2001 have been a consultant with Spherion Corporation working in the IT departments of local area companies, most of that time at Kraft Foods and now, Honeywell/UOP. My wife works at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Great Lakes, IL; my son just started public high school.

What I have witnessed in the November election in 2000 and the subsequent events has awakened me and compelled me to this action today, and I ask you to wake up.

My political activity has been to vote in every mid-term since 1986 and presidential election since 1988. I’ve been to Washington, DC one cold day in 2005 to protest President Bush’s second inauguration, the last two of Chicago’s Anti-War marches, and October’s World Can’t Wait march; I’ve participated in various democratic and independent meet-ups and support groups in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs; I’ve been critical of Democrats, extremely critical of the GOP, and unfairly critical of others in various online discussions. I have never before run for any public office.

We are on the wrong course for this country and I cannot sit by and watch a once proud nation deteriorate into the type of renegade state we as Americans once fought against. I have seen people get into high elected office under questionable means and subsequently abuse that office to consolidate more and more power. I feel that this present administration needs to be stopped. Now. The world can’t wait for two more years. I feel this country needs new leadership and that the present Congressperson from Illinois’ 8th district is not doing anything but abet the illegal and immoral acts our President and Vice President have done, are doing, and have stated that they will continue to do. The only thing Bush and his administration have been successful at is selling fear; they should be scared of us, not the other way around. This government has tried to rid itself of oversight and accountability while at the same time strip rights and freedoms of its citizens.

At present, the residents of this district have the option to stay the course with a Republican rubber-stamp in the form of Democrat Melissa Bean, the far right GOP disciple David McSweeney, or the anti-choice moderate Bill Scheurer. I'm not satisfied with any of those options. The present Republican controlled Congress now has a 27% approval rating and our Democratic representative has been more than happy to break with her party to support this Administration and Republican controlled Congress. The President has an approval rating in the thirties and the Vice President at twenty, yet the Republican nominee has stated that he supports this President, Vice President, and Administration, their policies of illegal wars and immoral occupations, and I feel he would not break ranks with his party to do the necessary oversight and investigations that need to be done. There is a majority of Americans who feel that a woman's sovereignty over her body is paramount and do not want to see Congress or the Courts overturn a constitutionally protected right; education, contraception, and adoption should join abstinence to lower the need for abortion, making criminals out of doctors, nurses, and women is going about it the wrong way.

I’ve been told to hold my nose and vote for Ms. Bean because we need to keep a Democrat in office. If we had one I would, but we don’t.

The majority of people in Illinois did not vote for Mr. Bush for President in the last election, but a Republican won anyway. The majority of people in this district did vote for a Democrat for Congress, but a Republican won anyway.

I’m glad to see Ms. Bean tout her 83% Democratic voting percentage. Voting to recommit legislation for reconsideration like the REAL ID Act; the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act; the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; the USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act; the Pension Protection Act, Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act; the National Uniformity for Food Act; the Legislative Line Item Veto Act; Better Health Information System Act; the Pension Protection Act; the Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief Act; the Federal Election Integrity Act; the Immigration Law Enforcement Act; the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act; and the Military Commissions Act as she did with her Democratic colleagues is commendable.

If elected, I will vote to undo the anti-democratic and unconstitutional bills Representative Bean and the Republican-controlled Congress passed and President Bush signed into law. Specifically:

* The Military Commissions Act - the Constitution prohibits writs of attainders and the Geneva Conventions prohibits absolving people who commit war crimes. (Convention IV, Part IV, Section 1, Subsection III, Art. 148. “No High Contracting Party shall be allowed to absolve itself or any other High Contracting Party of any liability incurred by itself or by another High Contracting Party in respect of breaches referred to in the preceding Article”. The Geneva Conventions are there for our protection and this act makes our country less safe, “Ret. General John Vessey, Ret. General Colin Powell, and twenty-seven retired military leaders, later joined by Colin Powell, [who] wrote to Senator John Warner (VA) and Senator Carl Levin (MI)”said the same thing, yet our representative voted for it. This bill allows and retroactively pardons the President and his subordinates in regards to the illegal and unconstitutional violations of protections against torture. Having the“investigator, prosecutor, judge, jury, and jailer or executioner” under the command of oneperson is too frightening to even consider. Anyone in Congress who voted for this bill does not deserve reelection.

* The Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act - our constitution calls for warrants to be made on all domestic wiretaps, period. End of story.

* The Patriot Act – We need to give this and future administrations all the help and tools they need in protecting the country, but eviscerating the Bill of Rights is not the way to do it. (warning, nudity)

* The Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement - putting the well-being of multi-national corporations before our citizens and consumers is wrong, especially when the present representative from our district ran against it in the first place. You don’t need a 2,400 page document to say “Free Trade”, you need that many to limit trade and hide giveaways.

* The Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act - we are $9 trillion in debt, moving ever faster to the point of unsustainable deficits, removing a revenue source is not a fiscally prudent thing to do.

* The Help America Vote Act – In a democracy, the most important thing we as citizens have is our right to vote, if it is compromised in any way, the people who are sent to Washington may not be representative of the true feelings of the American voters. “The [IL-08] primary race has been one of the most expensive in the country.” No one should pay or be paid to run in an election, votes aren’t bought or sold, they’re given, by voters, in a way that should be easily verifiable and auditable that doesn’t include proprietary source code running on uncertified machines with hazy chain-of-control data migration from the local polling place to where they are ultimately counted. (Ms. Bean did not vote for HAVA, as it was passed before she got into office, but she has not signed onto HR.6200.IH that would address some of these and other related issues)

I am for the government to use its purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare and against the privatization of Social Security. I am for net neutrality and against the media consolidation that has reduced the plurality voices and ideas by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. I am for the rights of Americans to own firearms and against the need for Congress to make more and more laws to fill more and more prisons. I am for enforcing our existing laws regarding illegal immigration and the prosecution of companies that hire undocumented workers. The National Guard needs to be available for domestic emergencies, not being targets of retribution in foreign lands. We need to look into the rising costs for college and health care - an uneducated, unskilled, and an ever increasing number of uninsured Americans are the last thing this country needs. Energy independence will be found with the funding of mass transit, encouraging conservation, and with renewable and alternative energy sources, not with tax breaks to the world’s most profitable corporations. Although I am for government support of stem cell research and opening up the number of lines presently available for government funded research, I am against more funding. I will vote to reduce spending in every single department of the government except the Veterans Administration.

The war in Iraq needs to end now. The military should be commended for a successful invasion, but the administration is criminally responsible for the invasion in the first place, the lie of the “Mission Accomplished”speech, forward, through today. The time-frame I envision is six days, six weeks, but not more than six months. The cost to Americans is too high, in terms of lives, dollars, and world-standing. The only people benefiting are defense contractors and the terrorists we are fighting.

I do not use the present Republican accountability cover-up as a chance to jump into the anti-Incumbent, anti-Republican sentiment sweeping the country. I had submitted my declaration of intent to be a Write-In candidate to the Cook, Lake, and McHenry County Clerk’s offices before this scandal ever surfaced. The votes by Representative Bean for allowing warrantless wiretaps and retroactively attempting to make President Bush’s conduct for Geneva Convention violations legal, made my decision for me. President Bush signing the bill into law cemented it. That is why I’m jumping into the race at this late date.

I will not be campaigning in the normal sense; I live paycheck to paycheck as many in this district and county do, and will continue to work my 9-to-5 job. My present employer should not suffer while I campaign for this new endeavor, and if I win, will not be spending the next two years fund-raising and running for a reelection. I would be voting for what’s in this district’s and this country’s best interests, not placating my biggest financial supporters with beneficial legislation and earmarks. I will be relying only on word-of-mouth advertising, so please let your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers know about me. I will be a true alternative the present status quo in Congress. I would not be a rubber stamp like the republicans and will be a constructive critic to the hopeful Democratic majority in Congress this country needs right now. We do not need more politicians being sent to Washington; we need people representative of the actual make-up of this country. We need to stop the direction this country is headed and sending back Ms. Bean won't do that. Voting for the lesser of two evils should not be asked of citizens who have serious issues with both of the national political parties. If we can stop the Bush regime, we might save this country, if we don't, this Republic will truly be dead.

Post a comment here for any questions or comments. The two mainstream party candidates will be spending million dollars to lose, I will spend zero to win. In keeping with that frugality, a copy of this letter can be found on a freely hosted site, http://tofubo.blogspot.com/.

Again, my name is Jonathan Farnick, Write-In candidate for the 8th Congressional District of Illinois for the election coming up this November 7th, 2006. Thank you for your time.